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Thursday, 30 September 2010

While we were down in London for the Tent exhibition we also nipped into Heals. As part of their Bicentenary celebrations, the Heal’s design team have created furniture and accessories using three of Lucienne Day’s iconic prints; Calyx, Helix and Sunrise. I loved the Dinky Armchair in Calyx inspired fabric. It's the kind of design that would never date.

Tuesday, 28 September 2010

I recently visited the Tent London Exhibition at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. I've always had an interest in furniture design so I thought I would take my mum along for a girly day out. It is a fantastic showcase for designer/makers and students alike.

My favourite exhibitor was Zoe Murphy. She creates wonderful pieces using retro furniture that have been restored and printed with colourful drawings of the seaside at her hometown of Margate.

I also really loved Sarah Newman DesignBark's Lampshades, where she has screen-printed bold geometric patterns onto real wood veneer. She hand screen-prints all the designs at her studio in South London. My particular favourite is the pink and turquoise colourway.

Now here is a nifty design from J.Schotte at groupDesign. The library chair is made of birch ply and folds to either create a chair or a stepladder. I always like multi-functional designs.

This product I think will be an heirloom of the future. If you’re ever struggling what to buy the kids for Christmas take a look at PlayShapes by Miller Goodman. They were Elle Decorations find of the Month in January. They are a set of 74 geometric wooden shapes which can be arranged or stacked to create hundreds of combinations and with a child’s imagination being what it is, they would never get bored of creating new and fantastic characters with this toy. They are a design classic in the making.

Last but certainly not least, as I love anything Ercol. The masters of simple but aesthetically pleasing furniture were also showcasing some new designs in the Ercol Originals range to celebrate their 90th Anniversary. The classic nest of pebbles has a nice colourful twist.

I already own an original Windsor Dining Table but I am in the process of restoring a Chairmakers Rocking Chair. I'll post some before and after pictures once its done.